


family meets wedding

by lovelylehanna



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Episode: s03e10 Girl Meets I Do, F/M, Gen, Post-Episode: s03e10 Girl Meets I Do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-08 06:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20830661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelylehanna/pseuds/lovelylehanna
Summary: An alternative version of Girl Meets I Do featuring more Boy Meets World characters.





	1. Wedding Planning

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with my first story that isn't a one-shot. This is what I think Girl Meets I Do would have been like if some more Boy Meets World characters had appeared. I personally think they should have at least had Jack and Turner in the episode.
> 
> If you enjoy this, please kudos and review! It means a lot to me.

Marriage. Something lots of couples get into and lots of couples get out of. Maya often wondered why people bothered with it at all if most marriages ended in divorce. Heck, even Mrs. Matthews's parents got divorced. Riley's parents and paternal grandparents were rare exceptions.

Of course perky Riley Matthews was excited about the upcoming wedding. "They're getting married!"

How foolish and näive Riley was to think that they were actually going to go through with the wedding. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Maya Penelope Hunter!" shouted an overly-enthusiastic Riley.

The blonde shook her head. She would have to get adopted by Shawn in order to change her last name, and why would he want to do that? "No, still Maya Hart."

"What's my name gonna be?"

"How do you not understand this?"

"I can't even think straight. So excited. Once Uncle Shawn marries your mother, it's like we're gonna be related. We're already like sisters, and then we're gonna be like cousins! That - that's less. What happened?" Her grin dropped at the realization.

Maya silently wished her friend would just shut up about her mom and Shawn. "Riley, you know how I feel about hope, okay? Please don't get my hopes up for this wedding."

A hand was placed on her shoulder causing her to look over at Riley. "Hope is not for suckers anymore, Maya. Hope has finally come around to beam for you."

"Well, I'd like to believe that, but you turned me back into me, and me knows better," Maya shot back. Why couldn't she just leave things alone?

"Hey, happily ever after is happening, so get your fairytale butt out of the dungeon and into the sunlight."

Before Maya could respond, someone knocked on the bedroom door. "And here comes the dragon to burn down everything."

"It's probably Shawn. He's the only one who knocks since my family is a bunch of pigs," Riley told her.

Sure enough, a smiling Shawn was behind the door, along with Katy, Topanga, and Cory. "Hey, kiddo― "

Maya cut Shawn off and blurted out, "The wedding's off. I knew it. I mean, hi."

He gave her an odd look but said nothing. Cory is the one who spoke up. "Maya, as long as I've known Shawn, I have never seen him this happy. Because I've never seen him happy."

Shawn furrowed his eyebrows at the man. "Hey! Well, I suppose it's somewhat true," he admitted.

"This is happening?" Maya cautiously asked.

Topanga nodded and confirmed, "This is happening."

"Come on, Maya. Your mom and I are perfect for each other," said Shawn. He firmly believed that he had met his soulmate. Nothing and nobody made him happier than Katy did.

Cory crossed his arms, glared, and scoffed. "Twist the knife, why don't ya?"

"Try to be strong, Cory." Topanga sighed at her husband's goofiness.

"30 years I gave him."

Maya ignored Cory and addressed Shawn. "Those are just words, Shawn. You love each other? Then prove it."

Shawn let go of his fianceè's hand and walked closer to the bay window. "I've always known how to get out of anything, Maya. The only thing that holds me here is her...and you."

While Riley and Topanga awed at the statement, Cory was displeased. "You make me sick." He left the room, disgusted.

"Well, it's good he left, 'cause he would've hated this. 'There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.' Kerouac wrote that in On the Road. I feel like my entire life I've been on the road," Shawn told them.

Katy let out a giggle and interloped her arms with his. "Well, welcome home."

"Something good is happening for me?" Shawn said in disbelief.

Maya repeated the question to Riley, "Something good is happening for me?"

"You guys haven't heard the best part!" shouted an excited Shawn. Katy smiled while Maya grimaced. What could the surprise be?

"I invited some people to help with wedding planning." He paused for dramatic effect. "Turner, Amy, Alan, Eric, Josh, and Morgan."

Katy beamed at the news. "Oh, that's wonderful! It will be nice having their help. Except maybe keep Eric away from anything breakable and flammable."

Shawn chuckled and nodded in agreement. "There's one more person invited. My brother, Jack."

"You have a brother? Since when?" Maya questioned. She had many family-related conversations with him, and he never once mentioned a brother.

"Since I was born," he grinned. "I'm so excited for you guys to meet him."

Katy leaned on Shawn slightly. "Well, I can't wait! I'm sure we'll love him. Right, Maya?"

"Um, sure," she replied. "What's he like? Broody and emotionally-scarred?"

"No. Why would you think that?" Shawn questioned in confusion. His brother was neither of those things.

Maya shrugged. "Siblings can act alike."

Katy stifled a laugh at seeing Shawn's offended face. "I'm not broody," he defended.

"So, we both agree you're emotionally-scarred?" Maya smirked.

Shawn untangled his and Katy's arms to open the door. His smile matched Maya's. "A little bit, yes." They both left with Topanga, leaving Riley and Maya by themselves.

The invited people arrived that afternoon to help plan various things. Amy and Topanga were chosen to bake the wedding cake because they couldn't agree on who should do it.

Jonathan Turner sat next to Shawn on the couch. He gave him a pat on the back. "Your big day is coming up. How you feeling?"

"Nervous, but excited," he told Jonathan.

Jon couldn't help but smile at his almost-son. He had grown up to be a great man. "Good. I wish you the best."

"Thanks, Jon. You were always there for me. Even when...even when my dad wasn't." Jonathan and Shawn's bond never went away. They still talked frequently after the motorcycle incident.

Jonathan looked behind him at the window. It was getting dark outside. "Well, look's like I've got to get going to my place. It was nice seeing you again and meeting your brother."

"Okay, drive home safe. Wouldn't want you to end up in the hospital with the wedding coming up and all," Shawn said with a warm grin.

"I will," Jon chuckled.


	2. Nighttime Talks

When night began, the other guest started leaving as Turner did. Eric returned to his apartment, Josh returned to his dorm, and Morgan, Amy, and Alan went to their shared hotel rooms. Jack, Shawn, and Cory camped out in the living room, while Katy and Topanga got the bedroom.

Maya and Riley lied in bed. Riley was asleep - made obvious by her snoring - unlike Maya. She twisted and turned, but couldn't seem to fall asleep.

Maya looked at her passed out best friend. She desperately needed someone to talk to. She whispered, "Riley! Riley Matthews! I am plagued by doubts!"

She groaned and spoke louder, "Okay, get up. I need to talk to you."

Maya picked the brunette up, making sure not to let her fall. Even though she probably couldn't hear, Maya pondered aloud, "When good things happen do they stay good or does a little bit of good just bring a bigger disaster? Or how do you deal with a good thing? How?" She turned her head. "Bay window! Bay window right now!"

Riley was still asleep even though Maya had dragged her out of bed and forced her to sit in the bay window. "How do you sleep? I've always been a light sleeper. Ever since my father left. Just 'cause I could always hear my mother crying in her bedroom. I'd try to go in and stop her from crying but I couldn't. So, I'd try to fall asleep next to her, but I couldn't."

"Mom, would you stop crying if Daddy came back?" Maya recalled her younger self saying.

"And she'd look at me and say, 'We don't need anyone else, baby girl. All I need is you.'" Maya sighed at the depressing memory. She wondered for a second what life would have been like if her father hadn't left. Her mother and she would have been much happier, probably.

"Too much responsibility. Can't sleep, Riley. Been up since I'm four. I know it's right that she finally has someone. But I also know that I never want her to go through that again. And what's the use in having a wedding if you don't know if it's gonna last forever? How do you know it's gonna last forever?" ranted the blonde.

She turned to her best friend. "Thanks for listening. Are you up?" The snore answered her question. Maya put on a Southern accent and said, "Riley, it's me, Lucas. I wanna be a veterinarian, and I wanna kiss your face."

Riley made a kissing noise, causing Maya to cringe. "Ew."

Downstairs, Jack, Cory, and Shawn were sleeping on the couch. The sound of Cory yipping woke Shawn and Jack up.

"Really, Cor? You still haven't stopped doing that?" an annoyed Shawn asked.

"Nope," Cory replied with a goofy grin. "So, Shawn, listen, this whole committing your whole life to another person thing, very big step."

Knowing what his predictable best friend was going to say, he answered, "I love her."

"Okay, so here's the big test."

"Yes, more than you." Jack chuckled at his Cory and Shawn's interaction. He had missed their antics.

"Who do you love more? Do you love her more than me?"

"Yes."

"It's a simple yes or no, Shawn," added Cory who either wasn't listening to his friend or was in denial.

Shawn repeated his answer, already done with this conversation, "Yes." Why couldn't Cory listen for once?

"Ask me who I like more, you or Topanga," the curly-haired man instructed.

Shawn lightly threw his hand up in the air in defeat. He knew his friend was going to keep pestering him until he asked the question. "Who do you like more, me or Topanga?"

"Topanga! Shocked? Surprised? You gonna cry? Well, don't because that's the way it is, pally. Topanga is my entire life, and that's how I want you to feel about Katy."

"I do," Shawn confirmed while looking at Cory like he was crazy (which he was as far as Jack and Shawn were concerned).

"I give you permission."

He shook his head. "I don't need your permission. I like her way more than you."

"I set you free, my little Shawnie bird. Fly! Fly away!" He then pleaded, "Don't go."

"I love Katy, Cory. She's first in my life. You're second."

Jack interrupted whatever Shawn was going to say next. "Actually, you're third. Maya's probably second." He and Shawn laughed at Cory's hurt expression.

"That's true," Shawn nodded. "Get over it, Cory. Family comes first. I expect you to put Topanga and the kids before me."

Cory glared at Shawn for putting him so low on his priority list. "Slumber party over," he said as he lied back down to sleep.

The brothers mischievously looked at each other as they had the same idea. They both smacked Cory with a pillow. "Slumber party back on!"

The three men continued having a pillow fight until Cory ran off. Shawn caught his breath. He looked in the direction of Riley's room. "Do you hear something?"

Jack and Cory nodded. They then saw the figure of a teenage girl appear in the shadows. It was Maya. "Don't mind me. I'm just getting some milk."

"Can't sleep?" Shawn questioned as Maya opened the fridge.

Pouring the milk, she responded, "Haven't been able to for ten years."

Jack stared at her curiously. "Something been on your mind for ten years?"

Maya looked like she'd seen a ghost. She didn't feel comfortable telling a stranger why she hadn't been able to sleep for a decade. Did he even know her dad left? "Uh, yeah." She stared down at her cup, indicating that she didn't want anybody to further ask about it.

"That's why you always fall asleep in my class, huh?" Cory asked in hopes of lightening the mood.

Maya grinned and brought her gaze to him. "No, you just teach boring stuff," she said, gaining a laugh from Shawn and Jack.

She realized something. "Wait, why are you three up?"

"Cory has a habit of yipping in his sleep," Shawn answered her with a smile.

Maya responded, "According to Mr. Turner, you used to do that as well.

"He also used to snore and sleeptalk at the same time," Jack added.

She corrected, "You mean snore and sleepwalk? You either snore or sleeptalk. You don't do both."

"Well, he did." Jack laughed at the memory in his head. It felt like just yesterday despite being twenty years ago.

"Mom's lucky you don't still do that." She set her cup in the sink. "Well, goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done. I hope you all enjoyed this!


	3. A Piece of Cake

Shawn didn't tell Katy, but he wanted to have the wedding sooner than they had planned. His boss assigned him a work trip to Fiji. He had to take pictures and write about the best places to eat at. Shawn decided that Fiji would be the perfect honeymoon spot and his work wouldn't keep him too busy.

Since the wedding was secretly today, he instructed Topanga and Amy to start baking the cake. Shawn and Katy decided on a lemon cake with cream cheese frosting.

"Okay, how hard can this be? We can bake a four-layer cake in a few hours," Topanga told herself and Amy.

Amy tied her apron around her waist. "How hard can this be? How hard can making the perfect cake for my son-figure and his future wife in just a few hours be?" she yelled, clearly in distress.

"Amy, calm down. We can do this! I've never lost a case against even the toughest of lawyers. I think I can manage baking a dessert with you," Topanga said in an effort to ease the other woman's worries.

"You're right." Amy let out a sigh and unclenched her hand that held a wooden spoon tightly. "Where do you keep the sugar?"

Topanga smiled and went to the porcelain container of sugar. She measured the amount needed and poured it into the bowl. They continued to add and mix the ingredients until the batter was done.

Amy opened the oven to insert the cake pans but stopped when a thought came to her head. She turned to her daughter-in-law. "Did we add the buttermilk?"

Topanga put her head in her hand, groaning. "No, we didn't. We need to start all over. The buttermilk is what makes the cake moist!" She placed the mixing bowl in the sink with a bang.

Hours later Amy and Topanga had finally baked the cake with the correct ingredients. The cake was out of the oven, cooled, and frosted.

"What do you think?" Topanga looked at her mother-in-law in hopes of approval.

Amy had a proud smile on her face. "Perfect for my son."

...

The pedestrians walked past Eric and Josh, who were having a conversation about the wedding. "When Cory and Topanga got married, I was snubbed as best man! Shawn got the role instead," Eric told his younger brother.

Josh raised his eyebrow, curiously. "Didn't you set the couch on fire?"

"It was BEHIND the couch. Thank you very much," Eric scoffed. "I won't let that happen again. Shawn wants Cory to be his best man, so I must take him out. He will have no choice but to choose me without Cory in the running."

"One, you're crazy. Two, Shawn would probably pick Jack if he couldn't get Cory. Honestly, he would probably pick a woman to be his best man before he picked you." Josh shook his head.

"You'll pick me as your best man when you get married, right?"

Josh scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't know. I have a lot of friends, you know?"

"Snubbed again!" Eric raised his fist to the sky and shook it. He looked back at Josh. "Well, for your information, I'm choosing Jack as my best man when I get married. RACHEL!"

Joshua stepped back in surprise at his outburst. He laid a hand on his older brother's shoulder. "Who's Rachel?"

"Just a girl I met in college." Eric shrugged casually like he didn't just shout the redhead's name. He rubbed his hands together. "Now let's start the plan of getting rid of Cory."

The young adult sighed at his brother. "Why didn't I choose to help Shawn and Cory with the wedding instead?"

...

Shawn and Cory entered the apartment. They had just finished setting up the roof for the wedding. Shawn wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. "I'm real nervous, Cor," he admitted.

"About what, buddy?" Cory asked him.

"What if she doesn't want to get married so soon? Did I mess up?" The last thing Shawn wanted to do was scare Katy away. He really wanted this to work out for Katy, Maya, and himself.

His friend thoughtfully replied, "I think she'll be happy that you're so eager to get married to her."

Josh and Eric poked their heads above the couch to get a better view of the two men. Joshua wasn't sure what Eric had in store for Cory, but it couldn't be good.

"I hope so." Shawn opened the box that held the two wedding rings to look at it. He imagined what it will be like when he puts one of the rings on his fiancè. "The start of a new beginning," he mumbled as he held his own wedding ring.

Eric crouched down and began walking slowly to the kitchen, hoping that the pair of friends wouldn't see him. Josh held back a laugh at his older brother.

Cory and Shawn turned to see Eric walking in a squatting position. A slight redness was visible on his cheeks. He quickly stood up. "Hi. I was just...checking in on you guys."

"You were trying to sabotage Cory so you would get the role of best man, weren't you?" Shawn crossed his arms. Eric was so predictable at times.

Josh got up from behind the couch and confirmed, "That's exactly what he was trying to do. I had no involvement in this, just so you know."

"I was planning on putting poison in Cory's drink. Nothing lethal. Just enough to send him to the hospital," Eric dramatically announced his plans.

"That wouldn't have worked. I would have postponed the wedding. Even if I didn't, I would've just picked Jack or Jonathan instead," Shawn told him.

"No problem. I have enough poison for them too."

Cory rolled his eyes at his brother. "Is your solution for everything poison? You also planned on poisoning Morgan so you could throw a surprise birthday party for Dad years ago."

Josh stepped closer to the three men. "What? When did that happen?"

"It was before you were born," Cory explained. "That was also the birthday that Shawn showed up to the party dru―"

Shawn shot him a look, causing the man to pause. "Too soon?"


	4. Let Yourself Be Happy

After baking the cake with Amy, Topanga had joined Katy for a snack at Topanga's. They were doing a magazine quiz. "Question number 10. Do the thoughts of your fiancè make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?"

Katy thought about it, then admitted, "I don't even know his middle name."

"It's Patrick," Topanga smiled.

"Patrick. Shawn Patrick Hunter. I wanna marry him!" Katy pointed at her heart. "Fuzzy!"

Topanga chuckled at her friend's reaction. "Okay, I'll I'll go ahead and put 'yes.'"

Riley and Maya were sitting on a couch to the far left of their moms. Maya was, of course, still not convinced about the wedding. "Why would someone who had something go so unbelievably wrong want to do it all over again?"

"She loves Shawn?" the brunette guessed.

Maya dismissed the statement, "She loved my father."

"Well, Shawn isn't like your father," Riley countered. She couldn't imagine being so hurt and unhopeful that you wouldn't believe that Shawn and Katy were getting married and staying together forever.

"What if my father wasn't like my father until he met my mother?" Maya theorized. She heard the bell behind her and turned to see Jack and Turner talking about something.

Jack smiled when he saw Maya sitting there. He turned away from Jon to say something to her. "Hey, Maya. How's it going?"

"Terrible," Riley said. "Tell her that Uncle Shawn won't back out of this wedding."

Jonathan Turner sat down in a chair beside Maya. "He won't."

"How do you know that?"

Jon took a second to reply. He needed to use the right words. "Because I know Shawn. He doesn't take marriage lightly. If he says he loves your mom, he does. If he says he's ready to marry your mom, he is."

Maya said nothing in response. Jack and Turner were both thinking the same thing. She was as unsure and afraid of getting close to somebody as Shawn was at her age.

The teenager looked down, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "I want him in my life forever."

"And he will be," Jack affirmed. Maya looked at him sadly but didn't speak.

The two women were still doing the quiz. They were aware of Jack and Jonathan's entrance but didn't choose to go up to them.

"Okay, Katy. By the power vested in me as the quiz giver of this magazine, I know declare none of this means anything," she set the magazine down. "Here's what matters. You're on the edge of a cliff. Today is the cliff. Tomorrow, there is nothing underneath your feet. Hopefully, every day brings solid ground. But with everything you know, are you jumping or what?

Katy walked over to where Maya, Riley, Jack, and Jon were sitting. She spoke, "I have long since reconciled with God that if nothing else remarkable happens in my life, I am thankful for my daughter and for friends who care about me. And if that's all I ever get, then it's a lovely life and I'm grateful for it."

"Well, Katy, as your friend, I want you to have more," Topanga told the blonde woman. It was great that she was content with what she had, but having someone to love and having someone to love you was a wonderful feeling. She wanted Katy to have that feeling.

The four adults walked away. Before Jack did, he placed his hand on Maya's shoulder for a moment to comfort her.

Riley squeezed her best friend's hand. "Maya, as your friend, I want you to have more."

"You heard her. She has a lovely life now, and you know what the difference is between this time and last time?" Maya questioned.

Riley eyed the girl cautiously, afraid of what her friend was up to. "What?"

"I'm here to stop anything that could change that." Maya got up and left the bakery. Riley ran after her to stop whatever she was planning on doing.

...

Cory and Shawn were still in the apartment. Josh and Eric had left to go do something before the wedding. "Oh, can you believe that this is happening?"

"I don't see how anything could possibly stop it." Just as he finished those words, Maya came through the door and slammed it shut.

Someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Riley Matthews."

Maya looked at her friend. "I'm doing this myself, okay? I don't need your stupid optimism. I only want reality."

"Well, the reality is you forgot to bolt the door!" Riley unlocked the door. She proudly displayed her keys. "Ya-chow! Keys!"

"Ya-chow! Let me see!" Maya stole the keys from her, locking Riley out once more. She tossed them on the couch and focused her attention on Shawn. "Why do you want to marry my mother?"

Cory glared at Shawn. "To get back at me."

Shawn looked at the young girl. "'Cause I love her, Maya," he sincerely answered.

No matter how sincere he felt, she still wasn't convinced. "Words. Those are just words."

"Yeah, they are. But I don't say those words a lot, all right? I was never even sure what they meant. And now I am. They're the best words I got. So, they're important. I want you to understand them."

Maya was going to reply, but she remembered that the bay window was still open. She ran off, confusing Cory and Shawn. A few seconds later she came back. "Continue."

"I already asked you for your blessing, and you gave it," he reminded her. He asked her shortly after Katy had said yes. Maya had eagerly agreed to them getting married before, so why was she so upset now?

"Yes, okay. That's why words aren't enough. Look, I feel different. I feel scared," she revealed. When their wedding was far away, she didn't worry much about it, but now that the wedding was coming up soon, she was filled with fear.

"Of what?" Shawn asked while he sat down. He wasn't understanding what she was going on about.

Maya took a moment to organize her thoughts. She sat down next to him. "Of why this needs to happen at all. You like my mother, she likes you. Everyone's happy, so what's the reason that anything else needs to happen?"

"You and me are the same," Shawn realized. He already knew that they were alike, but never knew just how much.

"We are. Bad things happen to us," Maya told him.

"They do," he concurred.

"So what if life doesn't know that this is happening yet and what if life figures out that we're involved? That's when something bad happens," she whispered.

Cory raised an eyebrow. Her words made some sense to him. "What if she's right?"

"She's wrong," Shawn stated firmly to his friend.

"Why?" Cory questioned. He wanted Maya to know why Shawn was so confident in his and Katy's future marriage.

Shawn stood up. "Because I want her to be wrong."

"Why get life involved with a big ceremony?" Maya queried. It still made no sense to her why two people who have had bad experiences with love before would want to get into a serious commitment.

"Because your mother and I want to invite life to this ceremony, Maya. We want life to change us for the better," Shawn explained to her. He spoke sternly to make sure she understood he was serious.

"Promise me this will work," she pleaded. The door opened, interrupting Shawn and revealing five people behind it. Riley, Topanga, Katy, Jack, and Jonathan were standing there.

Riley pointed at Maya. She shouted, "Get her! And get my key back."

Jack walked to his brother and future niece. "You're still anxious about this, huh?" he asked her with care.

"Yes," she answered the man and turned back to Shawn. "I know you like me. I like you too. Thanks for everything you've ever done for me because it's perfect. I want it to stay perfect. I don't want it to not be perfect, so game over. Thanks for playing."

Shawn stared at her. She definitely didn't understand how he felt for her and her mother. "Maya, do you honestly think I'm doing this out of pity for you? I would never pretend with you, and I wouldn't lead your mother on. I'm marrying her because I love her."

Katy side-hugged him. "Hey, thanks." It felt good to have a kind man that made her feel loved. When she was married to Kermit, she sometimes felt like he wasn't truly committed to their marriage, but she didn't feel that way with Shawn.

"Anytime. You're gonna hear it a lot," Shawn told Katy. He truly loved her and wanted to make sure she knew that. It was easier to convince her than Maya.

Turner chose now to say some words of wisdom. "Maya, your mom and Shawn have both had bad things happen to them. They've been left by those they loved, and they decided to try again with love even though it didn't go well the last time. Maybe you should do the same. Just like your mom isn't like Angela, Shawn isn't like your dad and he never will be."

"Thank you, Jon," Shawn smiled at his mini-speech, "We're taking a leap of faith here. You wanna jump with us?"

Maya was conflicted on what to believe. Maybe Mr. Turner and Shawn were right. "Prove you're ready."

"What, right now?" he asked to make sure he understood her.

"Right now," she confirmed.

"I can't do that. How could I possibly do that?" He left the apartment, taking Katy's hand. He poked his head in the doorframe. "Hey, Maya. We jumpin' or what?"

She followed him with curiosity. What on earth was Shawn planning?


	5. It's About Time

The group of eight sauntered to the roof. Maya, Riley, and Katy were the only ones that had no clue what was up there. Maya and Katy didn't know because it was a surprise for them, and Riley didn't know because she definitely would've told Maya.

Shawn casually asked Katy, "So what do you wanna do tonight? Dinner, movie, get married?" He gestured his hand towards the homemade altar.

"Huh. Well, isn't this reckless and spontaneous of you, Shawn Patrick Hunter," Katy said as she stepped down to get closer to him.

"That's me."

Maya beamed at the couple in front of her. "Oh, my gosh. He really loves her. She really loves him."

"Shawn? Thank you for being there for my mom. I see now that you truly love her." She could hardly contain her excitement now that she knew he was this in love with her mom.

"I do," he grinned while holding Katy tighter.

"That's nice. That's so nice!" Katy hugged her daughter. "Would you please excuse me?"

"Maybe for a second," Shawn joked.

"All right." She ran over to Topanga. "Oh, I got nothin' to wear. I got no shoes. I got flip flops. Imma flip-flop down the aisle."

Cory glanced at Shawn. "You got anything to wear?

"Uh, this here on my body," he glanced down at his clothes.

Jack placed his hand on Shawn's shoulder. "As your brother, I'm not letting you walk down the aisle looking like that." Cory took Shawn's hand and tried to run out the entrance.

Shawn tried to stop him. "What? What? No, we have to! The guy who's marrying us gets here in an hour. You're gonna love him," he said as Jack, Cory, and Jonathan pulled him away.

"You my maid of honor?" Katy asked Topanga.

"Uh-huh."

"Do it." She held her arm out for Topanga to grab, which she did.

Riley and Maya were sitting on a bench decorated with flowers. "This is something good. This is something good that is happening to you, Maya."

"This is what it feels like." Riley hugged the much happier than before blonde.

...

"Suit, shirt, shoes, ties, boutonière," Cory listed the items that the four men bought. Jack and Turner left to go to the roof and wait for the wedding to start.

"I can't believe this is really happening! Right?" Topanga said while holding her mug.

He looked at Cory. "Uh, can we sit down for a second?" Once the three were sitting on the couch, he spoke again, "Will I make a good husband?"

Cory angrily looked at him. "I got a boutonière."

"If you're getting cold feet, I will drag you up there myself," Topanga threatened him.

"No, I - I am marrying the woman I love today. I just want to know if I'm gonna be a good husband for her." He didn't want to be like Kermit, not to Maya and not to Katy.

"Oh, that?" Topanga chuckled.

"Shawn only someone who's truly in love with someone else would care if they're ready."

"Because you care enough to ask. Shawn, only someone who cares enough to ask knows for sure," the woman explained.

Katy entered Topanga's looking appearing scared. Topanga and Cory shared a concerned look.

"Should I return the boutonière?" the curly-haired man asked his wife.

Katy walked over to Shawn. "I've been looking for you."

"Why?" Alarms were going off in his head. He prayed that she wouldn't cancel the wedding.

"Um, before we do this," she started.

"Yeah?" he nodded and waited for her to speak again.

"No matter what the future brings, I - I want you to know how much I want to be a good wife. That's all I've been thinking about. Do you think I could be a good wife?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'd bet my life on it."

...

The wedding finally began. Riley, Maya, Amy, Morgan, and Topanga were bridesmaids, while Cory, Jack, Josh, Jon, Eric, and Alan were best men.

George Feeny, the wedding officiator, walked down the aisle to the podium. "Fee-nay?" Eric shouted.

Riley, Maya, and Eric started to do the Feeny call but were stopped by George. "Cut it out," he told them.

"You're a minister too?" Jonathan questioned. All the years he had known the man, and this had never once come up.

Feeny waved him off. "Just go with it. I am many things to many people."

"Grandpa!" Auggie shouted. Nobody but him, Ava, and the Matthews knew why he had yelled that.

"No," Feeny said.

Alan, Cory, Jack, and Turner came out with Shawn. He turned to Cory. "You can't come out with me."

"I'm giving you away!" he told Shawn.

Shawn awkwardly glanced at him. "I'd rather have your dad or Jon to give me away. Even though men don't usually don't have that."

"And we will." Jonathan and Alan linked arms with Shawn, walking him down the aisle. Cory trailed behind them.

Katy entered through the door. Jack held out his hand. "May I give you away, my future sister-in-law?" She took his hand and walked down the aisle.

Maya watched her mom and Shawn. "I'm probably gonna cry."

"Baby," Riley said, knowing she would cry too.

"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls: Shawn Patrick Hunter and Katy Grace Cleeterbooskay," George Feeny announced.

"It's Clutterbucket," Katy corrected.

"Yes, I know. I'm just trying to give you some dignity." Everyone nodded in understanding.

Katy laughed. Years ago she was excited to become a Hart, now she was excited to be a Hunter. Even more so than before. "Well, then make me Hunter as quick as you can."

"Now, I believe you two have written your own vows. Mr. Hunter, the assignment is due right now," Feeny joked.

Cory replied, "He needs more time, Feeny."

"You got anything?" George asked the couple.

"Wait!" Eric yelled. "I would like to announce that I was snubbed as best man. Oh, and I'm happy for you two. Continue." Alan pulled him back to where he was standing. Everyone looked at Eric weirdly, some laughing at the outburst.

Katy brought out a piece of paper. "I was looking for a quote that applied to us, and what I found was 'Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest, God can't help but smile on it. The lives we've lead until now have made us both wonder if life knows what it's doing with us at all.'"

Shawn started his vows, "Here's my life. My two best friends get married and have a daughter who has a best friend whose mother is you. I believe in life and in the long road that led me here to you. I promise I'll walk with you as long as you'll let me."

Katy told him, "I promise I will walk with you no matter where it leads."

"As long as you're next to me this is our road," finished Shawn.

"Who wrote that for you?" Feeny question, once again joking about Shawn's past.

"We wrote it together," Katy answered. They decided it would be best if they both made the vows.

"Oh. Well, Mr. Hunter, I always knew you had potential." George continued the ceremony, "Do you, Katy Grace, take Shawn Patrick―"

"Wait a minute," Maya interrupted. Everyone, especially Shawn, held their breath while waiting to hear what she had to say. She went to where Shawn and Katy were standing. "Before this happens, I'm with you. I'm jumping with you."

"Thanks, kiddo." Everyone else tried not to cry at the beautiful sight in front of them.

Maya turned to her mother. "And I've always been with you. Proceed."

George continued, " ―To have and to hold until death do you part?"

"Yes. Yes, I do no matter what happens," Katy promised with a wide smile.

"And do you, Shawn Patrick, take Katy Grace to have and to hold until death do you part?"

"I do. Guys!" he shouted in excitement. Everyone laughed and giggled at him. "I do."

"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may yeah, but okay," he said, realizing Shawn and Katy were already passionately kissing.

Everyone walked off to the apartment with happy smiles and some tears. It was a new beginning for Shawn and Katy (and Maya too).

...

Riley and Maya were sitting in the bay window, still in their bridesmaid dresses. "We did it!" Riley announced. Her masterplan had finally worked

"Wait, is Shawn my father now?" the blonde asked. All she ever wanted was two things, her mom being happy and a dad.

Riley explained, "Not officially. He would have to adopt you first."

"Get on it," she demanded

"I'm all over it."

Shawn, Katy, Jack, Cory, Eric, and Topanga entered Riley's bedroom. The rest of the wedding guests had gone home. Shawn held Katy's hand and lovingly said, "Hello, my wife."

"Hello, my husband," she responded back.

Cory tried to do the same to Topanga, but she shot him down.

"Where are you guys going on your honeymoon?" Eric asked with a wink causing Maya to cringe.

"Shawn is taking me to Fiji," Katy said, ignoring the wink.

"You ready?" Shawn asked her. They had to go pack, then leave quickly to catch their flight.

Katy nodded. "For the rest of my life."

"Um, am I your daughter now?" Maya hopefully asked her new step-dad. She unknowingly held her breath until he answered.

"Well, it's how I'd like to think of you." Shawn added, "If it's okay."

"That is the most okay thing that's ever happened to me." Maya smiled at the thought of him being a father to her.

Jack then remembered that Maya would need someone to stay with while Shawn and Katy are on their honeymoon. "Where's Maya staying?"

Shawn shrugged. "We planned on her staying here. Unless you wanted to take care of her."

"I'd love to," he agreed happily.

Maya's eyes widened slightly and her eyebrows raised. "Really?" she said in surprise.

"Yeah," Jack nodded and continued, "I want to get to know you more. I am your new uncle after all."

"Step-half-uncle," she reminded him playfully.

Jack grinned at her. "Same thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone know where I got the title from? Hint, Boy Meets World!
> 
> I really like the idea of Jack and Maya bonding for some reason. I wish it happened on the show. Jack didn't meet Maya or see Shawn in the one episode of GMW he was in. We were robbed!


	6. We're Family

Maya and Jack walked to his apartment where she would be staying for the week. She was happy to have another family member around but nervous about if they would like each other.

"This is it," Jack announced as he opened the door to his home. It was big for only one person to live in and decorated with fancy knickknacks and throw pillows.

Maya set her backpack down on the couch. Her eyes were wide and gazing at the beautiful decòr and furniture. "It's really nice. "

"Thanks."

"And expensive," she added. The couch alone must have cost over two grand, and the drapes looked like pure silk. Jack most definitely was not struggling.

He smiled at her observation. "A little, yeah. I work for my step-dad's company, so I make a good amount of money."

There was an interesting difference between Jack and Shawn. Both had money, but they lived differently. Jack chose to live in luxury, and Shawn chose to live a humble life in a small cabin. Perhaps it had to do with how they were raised. Shawn was poor and Jack was rich.

Her eyes drifted to the many picture frames on his wall. It reminded her of the wall of pictures in Shawn's old cabin. "You have a step-dad?"

"Yeah. My mom married him after she left my dad for being a lousy husband," Jack explained. He looked at the blonde girl, wanting to ask her a question, but afraid that he'll bring up a sore subject. "What happened to your dad?"

She lost her smile and sadness filled her eyes. Jack mentally cursed himself for even asking the question. Who was he to ask her what happened to her father? "He left my mom and me when I was young."

Jack now understood why his brother was so close to Maya. They both had parents that weren't around. That and she seemed to have a similar personality to Shawn. It was as if the two were made for each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He tried to quickly come up with a new, lighter topic to talk about. She spoke again before he said something else.

"That's why I haven't slept at night for ten years," Maya said, recalling their earlier conversation at night. "When my dad left, I heard her crying in their - her bedroom. I - I never could sleep after that. How could I? The sound was burned in my mind forever. I didn't think something could sound worse than my parents' loud yelling."

Jack gave her a look of sympathy. It couldn't be easy having your father leave and hearing your mother break down in the other room. He himself had an absent dad, so he knew what if felt like to not have a dad, but he never experienced his mom crying over it.

"But she's happy now with your brother. She's alright," Maya believed with confidence that she hadn't had hours ago.

Jack leaned against his counter. She said her mom was fine, but nothing about herself even though Maya's dad and Katy's divorce affected Maya too. "And you?"

"I'm always alright." He was unsatisfied with the answer she gave. It sounded like something Shawn would have told him years back. A mere attempt to get people to stop worrying about you, which only made them worry more because nobody that had been left by one of their parents would be "always alright."

He decided that he would just talk about this another day and leave the rest of today for bonding with his niece. "What do want to pick up? Pizza?"

"Sounds good to me."

They spent the rest of the night watching old horror movies that Jack had on DVD and chatting about their daily lives. Maya and Jack were happy to talk about their respective love triangles with each other.

"Did you ever feel threatened by Eric?" asked Maya who was intently listening to her uncle's story.

"Sometimes. You wouldn't think, but a lot of women are attracted to him." Anyone that saw the three would know that Rachel like Jack and not Eric, but Eric did have his moments with her.

"Why would that be surprising? I had a crush on him when I was like ten." Maya chuckled before realizing what she had just revealed. "Oh, please don't tell him. That would be so embarrassing."

Jack nearly fell off the couch with amusement. The thought of Maya having a crush on Eric was hilarious to him. "So you had a crush on Eric and now Josh. I guess Cory is next."

Her eyes were wider than the Grand Canyon. Even the suggestion of her liking Mr. Matthews like that grossed her out. "No! Never. Ew," she shuddered.

"You say that now, but soon you'll be falling hard for him," Jack teased the blonde.

"I hate you," Maya stated with her best attempt to hide her smile. She lightly pushed him away with her hand.

"I hate you too," Jack responded, not bothering to hide his own glee. It will be nice getting to know the girl more, he decided.

Maya let out a light giggle at his reply. "Thank you for letting me stay here, by the way." She didn't think that he would even want to talk to her.

Jack pulled her in for a hug, her face resting on his shoulder. "Of course. We're family after all."

"Step-half-uncle and step-half-niece to be specific," she repeated what she had said before to him.

He rolled his eyes at her humor but found himself smiling anyways. "No need to be hurtful."

...

Shawn and Katy were on the airplane, heading to Fiji. It was an overnight flight, so they were eating dinner on the plane.

"I hope Maya likes staying with Jack," Shawn said while eating his salad. He wanted to continue building his relationship with his brother, and Maya liking Jack would sure be nice.

Katy nodded in agreement. "Me too. I've always wished she had more family around. She doesn't get to see my parents often since they're in Arkansas, and I'm an only child."

"Well, we're family. Very dysfunctional, but a family indeed." The newly-weds held hands, and Katy lied her head on his shoulder.

The marriage would be a big change for the Hart-Hunter family, but it would be a good change this time. It may take some time for them to adjust, but they will be happier in the long run.

"After Kermit left," started Katy, "I didn't think I'd ever marry again, but here I am married to you."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it lightly. He gazed at her, observing every detail, from the glint in her eyes to her wide smile that showed her teeth. Shawn couldn't help but smile at the beauty of his wife.

"Yeah, same here. I never saw myself being with someone after Angela. I was already someone that had a hard time getting close to people, and my first serious girlfriend leaving made me feel like I would never find someone I love and feel close to again," Shawn admitted.

"We were both in the same sad boat, huh?" Katy took a short pause. "I knew that Kermit leaving wasn't my fault, but..."

"You still blamed yourself a little?" Shawn finished for her.

"Yes. It made me afraid to pursue another romantic relationship. I mean you saw how I was when I met you." She almost cringed, remembering how defensive she was.

Shawn nodded, also remembering her previous actions. "You said, and I quote, 'You need to stop being nice to me.' And I said, 'You need therapy.'"

"And I agreed to that," Katy finished with a grin.

This is it. A fresh start with a new family. Things can only go up from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! I hope you enjoyed this story.


End file.
